1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to scrapers. Specifically this invention relates to contour scrapers. In another respect this invention relates to contour scrapers as combination tools.
2. Background and Discussion of the Prior Art
Contour scrapers are used to scrape surfaces such as moldings and the like. Prior art contour scrapers had elongated handles and often had an elongated metal shank, which handle and shank were generally coaxially disposed. Such prior art contour scrapers are shown in FIGS. 1-8. These prior art contour scrapers caused fatigue in repetitive use. Further such prior art contour scrapers provided at best limited clearance and often interference with rubbing of the user""s knuckles when the blade edge was disposed at an acute angle with respect to the work surface.
The contour scraper art desired a construction which avoided such interference and yet provided fine operational control in the blade angle to work surface, particularly where the blade was disposed at an acute angle with respect to the work surface. The contour scraper art also desired a scraper which reduced fatigue with repetitive use.
The contour scraper blades required constant resharpening or filing of the blade edge. This necessitated access to a file. The user would often have to cease scraping and locate a suitable file for the blade in use.
The early patent U.S. Pat. No. 822,928 granted in 1906 to Delano, disclosed a file which was stored in the scraper handle. The file was only accessible by removal of a plug at the proximate of end of the handle. A compression spring was disposed within the handle so that with removal of the plug the spring would force the file out the proximate end. If the plug was lost or misplaced, the stowable file feature was rendered inoperable as the file would be forced out of the handle and fall out of the handle in use particularly in the upward vertical disposition.
The contour scraper art desired a scraper which eliminated the before-described file access impediments.
The prior art scrapers generally required disassembly or screw removal for blade replacement. Such disassembly or screw removal created the opportunity for lost or misplaced parts or elements rendering the scraper inoperable. The contour scraper art desired improved blade removal and replacement.
The present invention provides solutions to the prior art interference, blade removal and file access impediments.
The contour scraper of the present invention has a handle with specifically contoured grip surfaces and a distally angularly disposed blade receiving surface. The handle has an elongated arcuate axis, an upper proximately downwardly disposed curved surface, and a lower curved surface formed with two elongated curved finger receiving recesses. The handle has outwardly extending sides which are flared outwardly towards the proximate end. The blade receiving surface is distally angularly disposed, and in substantial part disposed below the upper grip surface. The blade receiving surface is formed with means to detachably operably receive one of a plurality of interchangeable double-edged blades.
The double-edged blade receiving surface is formed with a cylindrical post and a spatially disposed locking screw. The double-edged blade is formed with a keyhole opening which has opposed part circular edges and a contiguous central part circular enlarged opening. The central opening is larger than the locking screw head. The post engages one opposed part circular edge, and the screw engages the other opposed part circular edge. When the screw is loosened, but not necessarily removed, the blade is reversed or removed and replaced.
The handle is provided with a proximate end slotted recess. A file is slidably received and stowed in the recess. A permanent rare earth metal magnet is fixedly disposed in the handle at the recess end wall. The magnet is a rare earth metal magnet thereby being of sufficient magnetic force to magnetically hold the file in the handle during scraping operations. The handle has an enlarged vertically disposed through hole adjacent its proximate end, whereby the user is able to access the file through the vertically disposed hole to remove the file through the proximate end slot.
The handle has a hard thermoplastic core and an elastomeric molded over soft grip cover for added comfort in repetitive scraping operations.